I have been traveling the world as a journalist and passionate lover of all things fun for 20 years. I have had weekly columns in USA Today and Investors Business Daily, published thousands of articles in leading magazines from Playboy to Popular Science, and am the author of Getting Into Guinness. I am the Contributing Travel Editor for Cigar Aficionado Magazine, the restaurant columnist for USAToday.com, and am a co-founder of TheAPosition.com, the leading golf travel website. I love every kind of travel, active, cultural and leisurely, and my special areas of expertise are luxury hotels and resorts, golf, skiing, food, wine and spirits. I tweet @TravelFoodGuy

New Gin, Old Gin, And The World's Best Distillery Tour

One of the most famous and historic gins on earth finally comes to the U.S. this month.

A few months ago I wrote an article about Plymouth Gin, one of the very few gins with its own “appellation controllee,” meaning that like Champagne or Prosciutto di Parma, it can legally only be made in one very specific place, Plymouth, on the southwest coast of England.

Now there is something new from the oldest gin distillery in England.

Plymouth, owned today by Pernod Ricard, arguably has the richest history of any gin, period. Not only is it the oldest in England, making gin according to the original family recipe since 1793, but it is widely believed to be the gin that led to the invention of the martini. The earliest known written recipe for the martini, circa 1896, specifically calls for Plymouth, which, as the official choice of the Royal Navy, enjoyed an excellent reputation that was carried to every corner of the earth. Likewise, if you look at the first famous bartenders guide, the Savoy Cocktail Book, Plymouth gin is called for in more recipes than any other name brand spirit. To the prohibition era bartenders who made places like the American Bar at the Savoy in London and Harry’s Bar in Paris famous expat cocktail hangouts, Plymouth was gin and gin was Plymouth. But until now, Americans missed out on the gin that fueled the incredibly powerful British Navy and in turn, greased the wheels of the largest empire the world has ever seen. In the UK, Plymouth Gin has long been available in two versions, but the famed “Navy Strength,” is only available on these shores starting this month (September 2012). According to its makers, “Plymouth Navy Strength, the preferred gin of the British Royal Navy and top mixologists around the world, offers an amplified aroma and fragrance of botanicals while retaining the brand’s signature smoothness and balanced character. The rich and balanced taste… adds a distinct new flavor to traditional martinis and gin and tonics and is perfect for the demands of today’s more adventurous consumers.”

As you might expect, Plymouth Navy Strength Gin is stronger than the normal Plymouth Gin (57% abv/114 proof), and will retail for a suggested price of $34.99.

As I mentioned in my previous article, but worth repeating, is that in addition to making two excellent gins (and a world-class sloe gin), Plymouth has what may very well be the best distillery tour anywhere. It is one of the only gin distilleries offering tours period, and since gin involves extra steps not seen in other distilled spirits, namely the introduction of botanicals, it is intrinsically a more interesting process. Besides that, Plymouth offers both charm and unique experiences. The atmospheric building sits just a short walk from the ocean – where the pilgrims set sail for our Plymouth, in Massachusetts – and its oldest sections date to 1431. It survived heavy bombing from the Germans in WWII and still bears battle scars. It houses perhaps the best restaurant in Plymouth, plus an upscale “mixology” bar with cutting edge cocktails, sort of incongruous in this setting, but still cool.

The star of this show is the “Master Distiller’s Private Tour,” (£40) which includes a basic distillery tour, smell and taste tests, and a tutored blind tasting of five distinctly-styled premium gins, including competitors, plus a distilling class with Plymouth’s Master Distiller Sean Harrison, during which you make your own gin. Yes your own gin, labeled and bottled to take home. That is pretty special. But until you get a chance to visit, I recommend you start by trying the new Navy Strength gin.

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